(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for operating a wild animal feeder.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
For years, wildlife enthusiasts have fed supplemental grains and minerals to wildlife. Many devices have been used for this purpose. The current trend is to employ containers that hold from as little as five gallons to as much as one thousand bushels of grain or supplement.
By far, the most popular container used for feeding supplemental grains and minerals is the fifty-five gallon drum, because such drums are inexpensive and are readily available. Most wildlife enthusiasts and hunters attach a mechanism to the drum that dispenses a measured amount of grain or supplement at predetermined times throughout the day or night. The drums are attached to many types of devices in order to elevate the drums above ground level, usually from three to ten feet, for supplemental feeding of wildlife.
The most common device for supporting a container above ground level for supplemental feeding of wildlife is a tripod system which has three legs, or a quadpod system, which has four legs. The legs of the tripod system and the quadpod system are generally attached to the container by bolts, sockets or by welding the legs directly to the container. While both the tripod system and the quadpod system have met with some success, problems have nevertheless been encountered when using such devices for supporting the container above ground level in that such devices are susceptible to being blown down by high winds and tipped or tilted by wild game or even domestic animals.
Rope and pulley-type systems are probably the second most common device for supporting a container above ground level for supplemental feeding of wildlife. The advantage of a rope and pulley system is that such a system is, of course, readily portable. However, when employing a rope and pulley system for supporting the container, the user is required to set up a support frame or locate a suitable tree with precisely proportioned limbs so that the pulley can be attached to the limb. To secure a pulley to a tree, the user must climb the tree, hand one or more pulleys, fill the container with grain or supplement and then raise the filled container to the desired level above the ground. Because of the many risks involved in securing one or more pulleys to the limb of the tree, potential injury to the user is evident. Moreover, many such systems have an additional disadvantage in that they position the feed contained above the ground, but also position it very close in proximity to the tree itself, thus severely limiting the radius of any spray of feed within the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,812, entitled “Animal Feeder Support Device” is directed to a feeder suspendable from a tree, but may not be laterally offset from the tree more than a very limited amount. Additionally, the vertical positioning of the feed barrel is not variable or selective once installation is effected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,563, entitled “Stand-mounted Game Feeder Apparatus” is directed to a feeder on a stabilizing frame. While the vertical position of the feed barrel may be adjusted once fully assembled, the feeder cannot be offset from the framework any horizontal distance.
The present invention addresses many of the problems associated with prior art devices.